Enaville, Idaho — Snake Pit Kept Serving Whoever Came Through

Enaville sits where Prichard Creek meets the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River on a route that has repeatedly changed customers without changing its basic usefulness.

During the mining and logging eras, workers and travelers needed food, lodging and somewhere to drink. The Snake Pit supplied all three, accumulating lives as a saloon, hotel, restaurant and local landmark.

Mining and timber traffic no longer move through Enaville at their old scale. Anglers, cyclists and recreational visitors now use the same river corridor and still stop at the old establishment.

The customer base changed more dramatically than the location did. A business built for miners learned to feed tourists.